Railway-switch.



ALVIN W. BARTHEL, OF VIROQUA, WISCONSIN.

' RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed November 7, 1905. Serial No. 286,224.

VZ0 @ZZ U17/1,0m, it Tri/fry concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN W. BARTHEL, a citizen of the United States, residing `at Viroqua, in the county of Vernon and State of lvisconsin, have invented certainnew and useful Im rovements in Railway-Switches, of which t 4e following is a specification.

My invention relates to railwayswitches and its objects are to provide a more substantial structure than the'forms in general use to insure greater safety to passing trains; to permit the switch to be thrown when the car or engine is in close proximity thereto; and to reduce to a minimum the power required to manipulate the switch parts. I accomplish these objects and others of generall utility by means of the construction herein after described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of the main line of a railway including a portion of a side track equipped with my improved switch 5 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section midway between the rails of the main track showing one of the switch rails in depressed position for the passage of trains on the main track; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the switch rail elevated to its position for the passage of trains to the side track; Fig. i is a fragmentary view showing the main rail and connecting switch rail in cross section; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the switch rails, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the cam rods.

Referring to the drawings, A, A1, represent the rails of the main line, B the ties, and C, C1 the rails of a side or switch track. The rails A, A1 and C, C1 are secured to the ties B by spikes b1 in the ordinary way. The inside switch track rail C terminates before it reaches the main rail A, its end c2 being cut at aright angle to its length in the usual manner. The space thus left between the end of the rails C and the rail A is closed by a connecting switch rail D, having one end d2 squared to abut the square end c2 of the rail C, the other end d3 being tapered to engage the inside face of the main rail A. The outside switch track rail C1 is bent at an obtuse angle at c3 the part c1 on one side of the an le being in alinement with the rails A1 of tIie main line, the part c5 on the other side of the said angle serving as the outer rail of the switch track. Between the bend c3 and the rail A1 of the main line is placed a connecting switch rail D1 which differs from the above described switch rail D only in the relative position of the tapered face. Its squareend d4 abuts the end a2 of the said rail A1 of the main line, its opposite end d'1 being tapered in the outer surface to engage the inner face of the portion c5 of the rail C1 adjacent to the bend c3. The connecting rails D, D1, are provided along their lower edges with transverse notches d corresponding in len 'th to the width of the ties thus permittin t e said connecting rails to be depressed be ow the level of the main rails in a manner hereinafter cdescribed, and between the notches d are transverse T- shaped slots (Z7. Arranged below the said connecting rails D, D1, are a plurality of cam switch bars E which lie between the ties parallel thereto, having their upper surfaces e1 near each end inclined for a short distance in opposite directions and provided with flanges e2 for engagement with the T-shaped slots (Z7 in the connecting switch rails D, D1. The said bars E are supported on blocks e5 and held down by strap bolts e4 which prevent side motion but allow a lon itudinal ,movement to said bars and vertica adjust- -oted to the otherarm oi' the bell cranks II by bolts i and connected by means of a link K to the crank arm L of the switch lever M.

The connecting switch rails D, D1 areheld from lateral displacement by strong 4angle irons b2 irmly spiked or boltedto the tiesfbut which allow a Yvertical movement of said rails. The distance between the cam'su'rfaces e1 bears such'relation to that between the switch rails, that when the highest part of the cams ofone side are underVthe-corresponding rail, the lowest part of the cams on the other end will lie under the companion rail, and it will follow that a reciprocating movement of the said cam bars E will cause the switch rails to alternately rise and fall to the limit of the cam action and when one switch rail is elevated the other will at the same time be depressed.

In Fig. 1 the position of the operating mechanism when the main line is open .is shown in full lines, the switch rail D being depressed suiiiciently to allow the iianges of IIO shown by dotted lines and the rail D, which now normally depressed, will be elevated to' the position shown in Fig. 3, thus forming a continuation between the main rail A and the inside or switch track rail C and at the same time, the companion switch rail D1 will be depressed suflicieiitly below the level of the angled rail Cl toallow the wheel ilanges to pass over it, thus aiording a continuous connection between the main line and the side track.

In order to insure a free movement be tween the sides of the rails which are in opposition at d3 and d5 a filler N is inserted in the groove ofthe rails A, A1, formed between the head and base flange.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z'M A l. A railway switch including the rails of a main track and a side track, connecting switch rails adapted to be vertically reciprocated and provided with notches, a plurality of cam rods arranged transversely to said,

switch rails and engaging said notches and means for reciprocating said cam rods.

2. A railway switch including a main track and a side track, connecting switch rails' adapted to be vertically reciproca-ted and provided with a plurality of Tshaped notches, a plurality of cam rods arranged transversely to said switch rails and provided with inclined surfaces and lateral flanges adaptedto engage said slots in the switch rails and means for reciprocating said cam rods longitudinally. i Y

3. A railway switch including a main and a side track, connecting switch rails adapted to be vertically reciprocated, guides for said switch rails, T shaped notches in the lower margin of said rails, a plurality of cam rods arranged transversely to said rails, said cam rods provided with a plurality of oppositely inclined surfaces and lateral flanges adapted to interlock with said notches and means for reciprocating said cam rods longitudinally.

4. A railway switch including a main and a side track, connecting switch rails adapted to be verticallyreciprocated, lateral guides for said rails secured to the sleepers, lling members interposed between the said switch rails and their adjacent iXed rails, rectangular notches formed in the lower margin of each switch rail and adapted to engage the sleepers, T-shaped notches in the lower margin of the switch rails, a plurality of cam rods arranged transversely to said rails, said rods having oppositely inclined surfaces and lateral llanges adapted to interlock with said T-shaped notches and means for simultaneously reciprocating said cam rods longitudinally. l

5. A railway switch including a main track and a side track, switch rails connecting the rails oie the main and side tracks, a plurality of series of notches in said rails, a plurality of rods arranged transversely to said switch rails and provided with cams adapted to engage one of said series of notches and means for reciprocating said rods.

6. A railway switch including a main and a side track, switch rails connecting the rails of the main track with the rails of the side track and provided with T-shaped notches in their lower margins, a plurality of cam rods arranged transversely to said switch rails and provided. with cams adapted to engage the said T-shaped notches, means for reciprocating said rods, said means consisting of a plurality of bell crank levers connecting said cam rods with an actuating lever.

7. A railway switch including a main and a side track, switch rails connecting the rails of the main track with the rails of the side track and provided with two series of rectangular and T-shaped notches formed in their lower margins, one of said series of notches adapted to engage the ties, a plurality of cam-rods arranged transversely to said switch rails and provided with cams adapted to engage the other of said series oi notches, means for reciprocating said cam rods, said means consisting of a plurality of bell crank levers arranged in series, having link attachment vwith said cam levers, and pivotal connection with an actuating lever.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN W. BARTHEL.

ICO 

